Method for making pre-cast terrazzo tile



April 19, 1966 J. ZAHA 3,247,299

METHOD FOR MAKING PRE-CAST TERRAZZO TILE Filed July 27, 1961 INVENTOR. To 5% Ph Zoha (H tune United States Patent 3,247,299 a METHOD FOR MAKING PRE-CAST TERRAZZO TILE Joseph Zaha, 357 Washington Ave, Barberton, Ohio Filed July 27, 1961, Ser. No. 127,304 Claims. (Cl. 264 l58) This invention relates to a method of making pre-cast terrazzo tile.

Heretofore, terrazzo tile has been produced by various methods, generally by pouring a fluid terrazzo mixin a mold and compacting the mix into an individual tile which, after being cured or hardened, was polished to provide a finished surface on the. same. The considerable length of time required to produce such tiles, however, made the individual tiles expensive and accordingly limited the range of marketing the same.

One object of the present invention is to provide a method of making pre-cast terrazzo tiles at a relatively small fraction of the cost per tile as made by prior art methods.

Another object of the invention is to make tiles by the method referred to in the preceding paragraph, including additional steps by which tiles of more elaborate, varicolored designs may be produced at commensurately low cost per tile.

Another object of the invention is to produce tiles'of the character described having means thereon adapted to eliminate the necessity for grouting material in the interstices between adjacent tiles installed on a floor.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tile produced by the method of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section, taken substantially on the line 2--2 of FIGUREI. 7

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-section of a collapsible sectional mold, mounted on a vibratory table for practicing the method of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a compacted block of terrazzo .tile mix produced in the :mold of FIGURE 3, and from which a plurality of the tiles of FIGURE 1 are obtained by subsequent steps of the method.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view, corresponding to FIGURE 1, but illustrating a tile produced by a modified form of the method of the invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is illustrated a finished terrazzo tile 10, of suitable standard size, such as 9" x 9" x /2", the same comprising a body 11 of a compacted and cured mixture of marble chips 12, .12 and tinted cement 13. A thin coating or layer v14 of flexible material, such as cardboard, or fused polyvinyl chloride, is adhered around the peripheral edges of the body, and may be utilized in place of grouting or filler material when a number of such tiles are laid edge to edge on a floor. If desired, the tiles may be used in known manner with the layer 14 removed.

For practicing the method of the invention, a collapsible sectional master mold 15 of rigid material is provided, as shown in FIGURE 3, the same having four walls 16, 16 defining an open-ended article-forming cavity 17 of substantial length and of rectangular cross-section. The walls 16 may be covered by a thin layer 14a of paper, or of elastic material such as cured polyvinyl chloride. The layer 114a may be prevented from adhering to the master mold as by a coating of parafiin. When'polyvinyl chloride is used, layer 14a may be premolded to the.

shape of the cavity v17. Mold 15, with layer 14a therein, may be mounted in upright position on a vibratory table 3,247,299 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 vari-colored aggregate adapted to be polished, and white or grey Portland cement 13 (100 lbs.), and a sufiicient amount of Water to bond the mixture together, the Wet mixture being subjected to vibrating action as by means of an electricvibrator 20 afiixed to the underside of the table to eifect compacting or solidification of the mixture as a homogeneous mass in which the chips 12 are discretely arranged throughout the resultant block 22. The cement may contain a suitable coloring matter contrasting with the colors of the chips. During the aforesaid com-pacting stage any water which rises to the top of the mold should be squeezed or trowelled oif in known manner.

Now the sectional mold 16 may be taken apart in sections to expose the compacted block 22 with the liner 14a firmly adhered thereto (see FIGURE 4). The block is then either set aside for a natural cure for a period of about 24 hours, for example, or for a more rapid cure in the presence of open steam or heated air.

The fully cured block 22, with the liner 14a retained l thereon, is now out or sliced into plates or tiles 10, 10

of uniform thickness (see FIGURE 1), as indicated in chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 2. Such cutting or slicing may be accomplished by means of a high-speed diamond-toothed saw, or an abrasive saw, or a wire saw. The tiles or plates 10 may be cut from the block one at a time, or gang-type cutting means may be utilized, but in any event water should be sprayed on the block 22 at point of cutting contact during the cutting operations.

'Next, the tiles 10 with peripheral edges thereof covered by the liner material 14, may have one or both of the the same cross-section as insert 23, is produced in a rigid,

cut sides treated to provide a suitable finish or partial finish. jA fine, smooth finish or polish, however, may be achieved by means of a fine grit stone or wheel on a high speed motor unit. The finished sides may then be washed or otherwise cleaned, sealed with a terrazzo sealant, and finally waxed with a suitable wax.

In use of the finished tiles 10 (see FIGURE 1), they may be laid on a floor with use of suitable grouting material, as in the past, with or without the peripheral liner 14 retained thereon. The tiles 10 may be laid on alayer of grouting,- but with the. liner portions 14 of adjacent.

tile edges in intimate contact. In this way the liner portions 14 obviate the usual tedious task of applying grouting cement in spaces between the tiles, and in addition eliminate any tendency for the adjacent edges of tiles to become chipped due to straining or rubbing action, especially where expansion and contraction may occur. When the liner material 14 is of polyvinyl chloride or similar elastic material it is especially suitable for elimination of grouting between adjacent tiles.

As a modification of the invention, tiles may be produced with terrazzo inserts of predetermined shapes or configurations integrally incorporated therein. FIGURE 5 illustrates a tile 10a in all respects like the tile 16 of FIGURE 1, except that it includes an irregular-shaped.

. vinyl chloride liner 14b, corresponding to the outer liner portions 14.

For producing tiles ltla shown in FIGURE 5, an inself body 22a (see chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 3) of the same length as body 22 in FIGURE 4, and having sectional master mold in the manner as described for producing the block 22 of FIGURE 4. This insert block 22a, after removal from the respective rigid master mold, is positioned inside the lined master mold of FIGURE 3. A liner 220 corresponding to liner 14a may be retained on the insert block 22a to facilitate retaining the molded shape thereof. The space between between the insert block 22a and the master mold liner 14a is then filled with fluid terrazzo mixture, which is compacted as before, after which the master mold 15 is removed and the compacted tile block 22, including the insert block 22a, is cured, and cut, and treated to provide finished tiles of uniform thickness as previously described, and as shown in FIGURE 5.

It is to be understood that any number of tiles may be likewise produced to have such inserts in a variety of shapes and color combinations. In any event the liner portions 14b additionally serve to prevent the colors fromrunning from one body section to another of the uncut block corresponding to that shown in FIGURE 4. Moreover, any desired number of blocks 22 of substantial length may be produced and cured for subsequentcutting and finishing operations in relatively large groups.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to with-' out departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making terrazzo tile, comprising. the

steps of providing an elongated mold of predetermined cross-sectional size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the finished tile, covering the tilev shaping.

wall portions of the mold with a thin-walled inner liner of yieldingly compressible elastic material, filling the lined mold with hardenable fluid, cementitious, terrazzolike mixture and compacting the same, allowing the com pacted mix to become at least partially hardened, and removing the same from the mold as a solid block with steps of providing an elongated mold of predetermined.

cross-sectional size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the finished tile, covering the tile shaping wall portions of the mold with a thin-walled inner liner of yieldingly compressible elastic material, filling the. lined mold with hardenable fluid terrazzo mixture of Portland cement and discretely distributed decorative pieces of relatively hard material; vibrating the mold to compact the mix to become at least partially hardened, re-

moving the compacted mix from the mold as a hardened block with the elastic liner adhered thereon, cutting the cured block into a plurality of slices constituting. tiles of" predetermined uniform thickness having corresponding peripheral strips of the resilient material adhered around the peripheral edges of the tiles, and abrading at least one cut surface of the respective said tile slices to finish. the same, the finished tiles being adapted to be laid flat-1 wise in edge-to-edge relationship on a surface with the.

elastic strips of adjacent edges of the tiles in direct pres: sure-absorbing abutment.

3. A method of making terrazzo tile, comprising. the.

steps of providing an elongated mold of predetermined, relatively large cross-sectional size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the finished tile; covering the tile shaping Wall portionsof the mold with a thin inner liner of yieldingly compressible elastic material; providing atleast one elongated mold of relatively smaller cross- 4 sectional size and shape likewise having shaping wall portions covered with a thin layer of elastic material; filling the at least one smaller mold with hardenable fluid, cementitious, terrazzo-like mixture and compacting the same; removing the compacted mixv from the atleast one smaller mold as a block with the elastic liner adhered thereon and allowing the same to cure within the liner; mounting said at least one smaller cured block with the liner thereon upright within the larger mold to have the liners of the respective molds freely exposed within the larger mold; filling the space in the larger mold defined between said freely exposed liners with fluid terrazzo mixture and compacting the same as a composite larger block containing said at least one smaller block; cutting the composite block into a plurality of slices'constituting tiles of predetermined uniform thickness having correspondingly cut strips of the elastic material adhered around the outer peripheral edges of the resultant composite tiles and similar ,elastic peripheral strips intermediate the respective larger tile bodies and the smaller cut block portions therein; and abrading at least one cut surface of the respective composite tiles to finish the same;

, the finished tiles being adapted to be laid flatwise in edgeto-edge relationship with the elastic strips of adjacent outer edges of the composite tiles in direct pressure-absorbing abutment.

4. A method of making terrazzo tile, comprising the steps of providing an elongated mold of predetermined, relatively large cross-sectional size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the: finished tile; providing at least one elongated mold of relatively smaller cross-sectionalsize and shape likewise having shaping wall portions covered with a thin layer of, elastic material; filling the at least one smaller mold with fluid, cementitious terrazzo-like mixture and compacting the-same; removing the compacted mix from the at least one smaller mold as a block with the elastic liner adhered'thereon and allowing the block to. cure within, the liner; mounting said at least one smaller cured block with the liner retained thereon upright, within. the larger mold to have the liner freely exposed within the larger mold; filling the space between the. mold wall, of' the large moldand the exposed liner of the block with fluid, cementitious terrazzo-like mixture and compacting the same as a composite larger block containing said at least one smaller block; cutting the composite block into a plurality of slices constituting tiles of predetermined uniform thickness having strips of the elastic material intermediate the respective tile bodies generally and the smaller block portions therein; and abrading at least one cut surface of the respective said tiles to the same.

5. A method as in claim 3, said elastic liner material being polyvinyl chloride.

References Cited by the'Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 602,159 4/1898 Harrison et a1. 264l58 1,099,837 6/1914 Black 264158 1,164,099 12/1915 Kline 264338 XR 1,504,645 8/1924 Rice 25155 1,567,091 12/ 1925 Tone 945 1,570,538 1/1926 Thomas 25155 1, 678-,6 1-3 7/ 1928- Weiss. 2,007,961 7/1935 Bolton 26433 XR 2,152,190 3/1939 Henderson 264-250 XR 2,246,898 6/ 1941' Sayre 945 2,763,049- 9/ 1956 Peebles 18-47 2,835,996 5/1958 De Paoli 264333- 2,859,530 11/1958 Renaud.

ROBERT F. WHITE, Primary Examiner.

JACOB NACKENOFF, ALEXANDER H. BROD- MERKEL, Examiners. 

1. A METHOD OF MAKING TERRAZZO TILE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING AN ELONGATED MOLD OF PREDETERMINED CROSS-SECTIONAL SIZE AND SHAPE CORRESPONDING TO THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE FINISHED TILE, COVERING THE TILE SHAPING WALL PORTIONS OF THE MOLD WITH A THIN-WALLED INNER LINER OF YIELDINGLY COMPRESSIBLE ELASTIC MATERIAL, FILLING THE LINED MOLD WITH HARDENABLE FLUID, CEMENTITIOUS, TERRAZZOLIKE MIXTURE AND COMPACTING THE SAME, ALLOWING THE COMPACTED MIX TO BECOME AT LEAST PARTIALLY HARDENED AND REMOVING THE SAME FROM THE MOLD AS A SOLID BOLCK WITH THE ELASTIC LINER ADHERED THEREON, CUTTING THE CURED BLOCK INTO A PLURALITY OF SLICES CONSTITUTING TILES OF PREDETERMINED UNIFORM THICKNESS HAVING CORRESPONDING PERIPHERAL STRIPS OF THE ELASTIC MATERIAL ADHERED AROUND THE PERIPHERAL EDGES OF THE TILES, AND ABRADING AT LEAST ONE CUT SURFACE OF THE RESPECTIVE SAID TILE SLICES TO FINISH THE SAME, THE FINISHED TILES BEING ADAPTED TO BE LAID FLATWISE IN EDGE-TO-EDGE RELATIONSHIP ON A SURFACE WITH THE ELASTIC PERIPHERAL STRIPS OF ADJACENT EDGES OF THE TILES IN DIRECT PRESSURE-ABSORBING ABUTMENT. 